A new framework from the U.K.'s National Health Service (NHS) has sparked some concerns as the agency continues its push to lower prescription drug prices, the Pink Sheet reports. "It's now clearly in the public domain, for those who didn't know, that NHS England wants to get companies to price […]
Senate Panel OKs Trump’s Pick for FDA Chief
A Senate panel this week gave Stephen Hahn, President Donald Trump's pick to head the FDA, the green light, CNBC reports. Hahn's nomination moves on to the Senate for a vote. According to the report, Hahn has been criticized for his lack of a clear stance on e-cigarettes. To read the full […]
Report: Uncertainty Abound on Health Policy
In the midst of a tumultuous Washington, health care policy is likely to take a back seat during the 2020 election season, according to a MM&M report. Impeachment hearings are likely to retain the spotlight going into the election, per the report. "It's clearly going to suck the oxygen out […]
CMS Chief Criticizes High Launch Prices
During the recent Milken Institute's Future of Health Summit, Seema Verma, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator, was critical of high prescription drug launch prices, Policy & Medicine reports. "Now we have a half a million-dollar drug and $1 million drug and the question […]
Legislators Plan Follow-Up Legislation to 21st Century Cures Act
Reps. Diana DeGette, a Democrat, and Fred Upton, a Republican, are working together to create new legislation that would expand on the 21st Century Cures Act, according to a Regulatory Focus report. The legislators put out a call for input on how to address a number of issues and challenges for […]
John, Laura Arnold Play Key Role in Drug Pricing Debate
Using their political clout and wealth, John and Laura Arnold have played a pivotal role in the ongoing drug pricing debate, including voicing their support for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's drug pricing bill. According to a STAT report, the Arnolds have dropped a cool $60 million in their push on […]
Article Highlights HTA Landscape for Advanced Therapy Medicinal Products
A recent article by Xcenda highlights how advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs) fit in with the current health technology assessment (HTA) landscape, as well as emerging frameworks. According to the article, a number of ATMPs have been given marketing authorization from the European […]
Analysis: Pelosi Plan Could Result in Fewer Drugs
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's drug pricing plan, H.R.3, could result in 56 fewer drugs over 10 years, a new analysis by economic consulting firm Vital Transformation suggests. According to a PhRMA blog post citing the analysis, the bill would lead to a major cut in revenue for drugmakers with […]
CMS Announces 2 New Rules to Boost Price Transparency, Cut Health Costs
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced two new rules aimed at increasing price transparency and slashing health costs across the board for Americans. According to a press release, the rules are part of President Donald Trump's executive order, "Improving Price and Quality […]
White House Ramps Up Effort to Push Through Drug Cost Legislation
The Trump administration is working to push through a piece of legislation aimed at slashing prescription drug prices, the Associated Press reports. According to the report, the administration is putting its weight behind the bipartisan bill in the Senate which would require drugmakers to pay […]
Expert Panel Gives Unanimous Approval of Vascepa Presentation
An expert panel of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials voted 16-0 to support Amarin's data on Vascepa, Endpoints News reports. According to the report, the panel considered safety and efficacy data which was ultimately found to suggest the benefits outweighed the potential risks. To […]
Report: Trump Shifts on Goals for Drug Prices
President Donald Trump has a new goal for his drug pricing plans: making sure the U.S. pays less than other countries for some prescription drugs under Medicare, Axios reports. "[Trump's] view — which he's articulated publicly — is that America ought to be getting the best deal among developed […]
AHIP’s Fontenot Urges Caution with Government’s HRA Proposal
America's Health Insurance Plans' Keith Fontenot in response to the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) request for comments on its proposed expansion of health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) urged caution moving forward, Managed Healthcare Executive reports. "With proper safeguards […]
NICE Brings Back International Division
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is set to relaunch its nonprofit international division to "deal with a growing number of enquiries from overseas health and social care bodies." The international branch, according to NICE, offers advisory services to a host of […]
White House Taps Hahn to Lead FDA
President Donald Trump has tapped MD Anderson Cancer Center's Dr. Stephen Hahn to head the Food and Drug Administration, according to a BioPharma Dive report. Hahn will replace acting FDA Commissioner Ned Sharpless if he gets the Senate's confirmation. To read the full report on BioPharma […]
North Carolina’s Treasurer Talks Transparency in Health Care Spending
The latest Relentless Health Value podcast features North Carolina State Treasurer Dale Folwell to discuss transparency in health care spending. Folwell has served as the state's treasurer since January 2017. To listen to the podcast, click here. […]
Houses Unanimously OKs Drug Pricing Transparency Bill
The House on Monday, Oct. 28, unanimously passed the Public Disclosure of Drug Discounts Act in a bid to boost transparency in how drugmakers price their drugs, One America News Network reports. The bill now goes to the Senate for full approval. "Patients who are being pitched these medicines […]
FDA Releases Report on Drug Shortages
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in a report on drug shortages released Wednesday, Oct. 30, suggests "financially unattractive drugs" are most likely to experience shortages, MM&M reports. According to the report, the agency highlighted some key areas that could help prevent drug […]
Transparency Concerns Amid Novel Deals with Pharma
Washington is the latest state to strike a deal with a pharmaceutical company as it looks to eliminate hepatitis C infections, Kaiser Health News reports, but the effort is not without skepticism over transparency. Drugmaker AbbVie came out on top of a blind bidding process in Washington in a […]
Is Value-Based Payment Working?
Austin Frakt in a recent article published in the New York Times looks at the progress of value-based payments following the passage of the Affordable Care Act. While Medicare has achieved its 90 percent value-based goal, Frakt writes, the issue is not so straightforward. "It doesn't mean that […]
Dems to Name Drug Pricing Bill After Cummings
Democratic lawmakers are planning to name a drug pricing bill in honor of Rep. Elijah Cummings, who died Thursday, Oct. 17, FiercePharma reports. Cummings was a key player in the fight against pharmaceutical drug prices. "Elijah Cummings, in his 23 years in Congress, tirelessly led the fight […]
Joe Grogan: From Gilead Lobbyist to Trump Administration Budget Aide
A recent article by STAT looks at how Joe Grogan, a former Gilead Sciences lobbyist, became a mid-level budget aide in the Trump administration, and ultimately threw a wrench in the administration's 2018 announcement of the drug pricing blueprint. According to the report, about an hour before the […]
Frakt: Thin Evidence Base for Health Policies
Austin Frakt, director of the Partnered Evidence-Based Policy Resource Center at the V.A. Boston Healthcare System, in a recent article published on the New York Times considers evidence gathering on U.S. health policies. In his write up, Frakt writes that there's a weak evidence base for health […]
Whistleblower Claims Fraud at Seattle Health Plan
A former medical billing manager at Seattle-based Group Health Cooperative claims the health plan retroactively collected about $8 million from Medicare for services rendered in 2010 by falsely claiming patients were more ill than they were and by bogus billing, Kaiser Health News […]
Pelosi-Backed Bill Could Save U.S. $345 Billion
A bill backed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi could save the U.S. roughly $345 billion over seven years and create major waves in the pharmaceutical industry, according to a recent Bloomberg report. According to the report, the bill would empower Medicare to set prices based off what other […]
Study Finds Little Teeth in States’ Drug Pricing Transparency Measures
The authors of a recent study published in JAMA suggest that less than five percent of state laws passed in the last few years will have much impact on boosting drug pricing transparency, FiercePharma reports. Neeraj Sood, one of the study's authors, tells FiercePharma the laws fall short of […]
FDA’s Temple on RWE for New Efficacy Claims: It’s ‘Frustrating’
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research Deputy Director for Clinical Science Robert Temple is not so enthusiastic about the use of real-world evidence in new efficacy claims, Pink Sheet reports. "I find the whole thing very frustrating," he said during a recent panel at the Biopharma […]
Congress Clears Drug Pricing Bill to Save $3 Billion
Congress last week quietly gave the green light to a new drug pricing bill that could save the government upward of $3 billion, STAT reports. According to the report, legislators and the president have been tight-lipped on the measure. To read the full report, click here. […]
CEA Report Suggests Slow Growth in Medicine Prices
A new report from the White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) suggests that drug prices have reached their slowest growth rate in decades. PhRMA in a blog post highlights four key points from the report. To read more, click here. […]
Bill Targets Poor Use of Step Therapy
The Safe Step Act introduced in September by Sens. Bill Cassidy, Doug Jones and Lisa Murkowski aims to facilitate better use of step therapy in employer-sponsored health plans and expand a patient's opportunity to seek out exceptions, according to a Healio report. Angus Worthing, chair of the ACR […]
